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Friday, 9 May 2014

"A murder mystery that captivated the nation"

Academic reviews, by nature, take a little while to start appearing.

I've already noted a few reviews from history journals of my last book, The Most Remarkable Woman in England: Poison, Celebrity and the Trials of Beatrice Pace which appeared at the end of last year. I've just noted that two others have appeared.

Happily, they both say very nice things about the book, though they focus on different things.

In Women's History Review, a review by Caitriona Clear is currently appearing as 'advance access' online (meaning that it hasn't yet appeared in the print version).

Clear focuses on, and largely summarises, the dramatic story aspects of the Pace case. She calls the book a 'page-turner' and observes:

In telling this story, [Wood] references all the main authorities and rehearses all the arguments of gender history and British social history in the inter-war period. He does this so skilfully that there is no sense of being dragged away from the scene of the crime to listen to teacher. Nor does he shy away from speculating about what really happened to Harry Pace.

Clear, however, finds my suggestion that Harry Pace may have killed himself via arsenic poisoning to be 'baffling'.

My actual argument about Harry's death is a bit different than she describes; however, this is one of those things where I would definitely encourage people to read the book and make up their own minds.

John Carter Wood's The Most Remarkable Woman in England may at first seem little more than historical coverage of a real-life whodunit mystery, but this impressive scholarly work quickly shows the trial of Beatrice Pace to be a landmark court case--socially, culturally, and legally. ...

In a fascinating display of meticulously collected evidence, Wood at first draws the reader in to ask 'who killed Harry Pace?', but the real triumph of this book is the seamless way in which the author unravels the social and cultural impact of the case as the evidence and hearsay surrounding the murder mounted.

Quickly, The Most Remarkable Woman in England becomes not about the guilt or innocence of Beatrice Pace in the death of her husband, but a series of more complex questions for the reader to consider. These relate both to situating the case as a product of its time and in thus reading its significance, and also in evaluating the role which the media played in constructing well-defined personae for both harry and Beatrice Pace, as well as the extent to which this influenced public reaction to the trial. ...

In analysing the Pace case, John Carter Wood offers an in-depth exploration of attitudes towards inter-war crime, gender, media sensation and criminal justice, and at the same time delivers a comprehensive overview of a murder mystery that captivated the nation.

Many thanks to both reviewers for the careful readings and positive verdicts.

'A fascinating analysis of one woman's domestic disaster, the power of the press and public opinion. Loved it!' -- Jenni Murray, host of BBC Radio 4's "Woman's Hour"

'Sometimes life is better than fiction.' -- Tessa Hadley, in The Guardian

'Just for once, my crime book of the year isn’t a novel, but a factual account. ... A fascinating snapshot of interwar England, brilliantly brought to life.' -- Nicola Upson, Faber website

'I know that this book worked in a narrative sense because for most of the time I was reading it I felt a prickling at the back of my neck that I only get from a good crime book, whether true or fictional.' -- Kate Gardner, Nose in a Book

'...[A]n engaging and suggestive analysis of the relationship between crime, culture, and politics in a formative historical period.... [I]t is hard to imagine a more thorough account of the processes through which crime became news.' -- Matthew Houlbrook, Media History.

'This book will be an invaluable aid to those interested in the history of criminal justice and British society in the 1920s.' -- June Purvis, in the Times Higher Education

'A vivid portrayal not just of one woman's fate, but of a society in transition. Highly recommended!' -- Andrew Hammel, Amazon.co.uk review

Welcome!

Find The Most Remarkable Woman in England on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaceCase

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In May 1928, Beatrice Pace, the widow of a Forest of Dean quarryman and shepherd, was charged with her husband's arsenic murder. Her trial in Gloucester in July that year was one of the greatest legal sensations in early twentieth-century Britain, generating almost endless newspaper coverage and heated political debates about the state of the British justice system.

On this blog, I will be posting updates about my forthcoming book, The Most Remarkable Woman in England: Poison, Celebrity and the Trials of Beatrice Pace (Manchester University Press), the first book to deal comprehensively with what was known as the ‘Fetter Hill Mystery’ and the trial to which it led.

So, if you’re interested in real-life mysteries, the histories of the British police and criminal justice system or the culture of the 1920s, you’ve come to the right place!

Here, I’ll also present details about my research, give additional facts about the case and provide background material about crime, policing, justice and celebrity culture in the inter-war period.

This is also an opportunity for readers (or potential readers) to ask questions and comments about the case and my take on it. More information is available on the blog to the left or on the pages listed above.

If you have questions about the book or related issues, please feel free to contact me at jcarterwood@yahoo.com